NameCensus.

UK surname

Northey

A locational surname referring to someone from the north.

In the 1881 census there were 714 people recorded with the Northey surname, ranking it #5,094 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 760, ranked #7,210, down from #5,094 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Phillack and Lifton, Bratton Clovelly, Broadwood Widger. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall and West Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Northey is 828 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.4%.

1881 census count

714

Ranked #5,094

Modern count

760

2016, ranked #7,210

Peak year

1911

828 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Northey had 714 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,094 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 760 in 2016, ranked #7,210.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 828 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Northey surname distribution map

The map shows where the Northey surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Northey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Northey over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 444 #5,543
1861 historical 372 #6,857
1881 historical 714 #5,094
1891 historical 654 #5,939
1901 historical 799 #5,654
1911 historical 828 #5,331
1997 modern 759 #6,818
1998 modern 795 #6,779
1999 modern 801 #6,782
2000 modern 792 #6,831
2001 modern 778 #6,788
2002 modern 800 #6,773
2003 modern 788 #6,731
2004 modern 795 #6,703
2005 modern 783 #6,711
2006 modern 762 #6,896
2007 modern 762 #6,964
2008 modern 765 #6,992
2009 modern 783 #7,001
2010 modern 784 #7,144
2011 modern 774 #7,133
2012 modern 740 #7,303
2013 modern 763 #7,237
2014 modern 764 #7,253
2015 modern 760 #7,224
2016 modern 760 #7,210

Geography

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Where Northeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Phillack, Lifton, Bratton Clovelly, Broadwood Widger, Kenwyn, Tregavethan and Kea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall and West Devon. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Phillack Cornwall
3 Lifton, Bratton Clovelly, Broadwood Widger Devon
4 Kenwyn, Tregavethan Cornwall
5 Kea Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 004 Cornwall
2 West Devon 004 West Devon
3 Cornwall 006 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 005 Cornwall
5 West Devon 005 West Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Northey

These lists show first names that appear often with the Northey surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Northey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Northey, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Northey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Northey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Northey is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Northey is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Northey falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Northey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Northey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Northey

The surname Northey originated in England during the late medieval period. It is a locational name derived from one of the several places named "Northey" or similar spellings, such as Northay, Northia, or Northeye. These place names were formed from the Old English words "norþ" meaning north and "eg" meaning island or dry ground.

The earliest known record of the surname Northey appears in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire in 1273, where one William de Northeye is mentioned. Another early reference can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a John de Northye.

In the 14th century, records show the name was also spelled as Northie, Northy, and Northi. Some notable individuals from this period include Robert Northey, a landowner in Gloucestershire mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1380, and William Northey, a tax collector in Somerset recorded in the Feudal Aids of 1428.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Northey appeared in various parish records and historical documents across southern England. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Northey, born in 1543 in Wiltshire, who served as a church warden in his local parish.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Edward Northey (1652-1723), an English lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General for England and Wales from 1708 to 1711. He was also a Member of Parliament for Tiverton and a prominent figure in the legal profession of his time.

In the 18th century, the Northey surname can be found in several genealogical records and historical documents. Examples include Thomas Northey (1698-1768), a clergyman and author from Devon, and William Northey (1716-1786), a landowner and justice of the peace in Gloucestershire.

Other notable individuals with the surname Northey include Alfred Northey (1836-1908), a British army officer who served in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and Edward Northey (1828-1890), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of British Honduras (now Belize) from 1884 to 1890.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Northey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Northey surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cornwall leads with 297 Northeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.35x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 297 37.35x
Devon 188 12.86x
Lancashire 47 0.56x
Glamorgan 45 3.68x
Middlesex 27 0.38x
Durham 25 1.20x
Surrey 17 0.50x
Cardiganshire 13 7.59x
Somerset 13 1.15x
Sussex 12 1.01x
Hampshire 9 0.63x
Lincolnshire 8 0.71x
Yorkshire 6 0.09x
Isle of Man 3 2.30x
Derbyshire 2 0.18x
Northumberland 2 0.19x
Royal Navy 2 2.39x
Berkshire 1 0.19x
Flintshire 1 0.53x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.11x
Staffordshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kenwyn in Cornwall leads with 89 Northeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 428.09x.

Place Total Index
Kenwyn 89 428.09x
Plymouth St Andrew 55 48.84x
Kea 22 370.99x
Phillack 21 204.68x
Redruth 21 93.37x
East Stonehouse 19 65.97x
Werrington 17 1075.95x
St John Near Swansea 16 105.82x
St Austell 15 55.19x
St Stephen 13 460.99x
Walcot 13 21.59x
Stoke Damerel 12 11.73x
Epsom 11 65.95x
Gwennap 11 73.33x
Lifton 11 312.50x
St George Hanover 11 12.00x
Plymouth Charles The 10 15.53x
St Cleer 10 145.14x
St Neot 10 319.49x
Aberdare 9 10.72x
Pennington In Ulverston 9 217.39x
Tavistock 9 54.05x
Ystradyfodwg 9 8.39x
Advent 8 1481.48x
Halliwell 8 26.38x
Laneast 8 1290.32x
St Clether 8 1538.46x
Stowford 8 851.06x
Trefeirig 8 299.63x
Altarnun 7 253.62x
Dalton In Furness 7 21.76x
Hetton Le Hole 7 26.44x
Tamerton Foliott 7 249.11x
Alford 6 86.21x
Broadwoodwidger 6 361.45x
Calstock 6 38.49x
Cliviger 6 127.93x
Collierley 6 64.45x
Merther 6 1016.95x
North Hill 6 235.29x
Parr 6 20.12x
Portsea 6 2.13x
Sydenham Damerel 6 530.97x
Barrow In Furness 5 4.41x
Clase 5 11.00x
Halwell 5 312.50x
Lustleigh 5 568.18x
St Allen 5 357.14x
Beddington 4 30.23x
Bexhill 4 67.80x
South Petherwin 4 201.01x
St Gluvias Penryn 4 62.79x
St Pancras London 4 0.71x
St Thomas Apostle 4 163.27x
Swansea Higher 4 31.40x
Tanfield 4 16.10x
Aberystwith 3 20.34x
Brighton 3 1.26x
Crook Billy Row 3 11.21x
Habergham Eaves 3 3.94x
Liskeard 3 22.56x
Paddington London 3 1.16x
Rushen 3 34.01x
Saddleworth 3 5.59x
St Columb Major 3 45.45x
St Marylebone London 3 0.80x
Willington 3 24.86x
Clee With Weelsby 2 8.14x
Hastings Holy Trinity 2 22.91x
Hastings St Leonards 2 11.49x
Lanteglos 2 54.35x
Llantrisant 2 6.49x
Melindwr 2 84.03x
Poplar London 2 1.51x
Royal Navy 2 2.80x
Todmorden Walsden 2 8.96x
Tormoham 2 3.23x
Totnes 2 23.39x
Truro St Mary 2 29.94x
Whitchurch 2 77.82x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Northey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 65
Elizabeth 45
Jane 22
Ann 13
Sarah 12
Emily 10
Eliza 8
Ellen 8
Florence 7
Alice 6
Bessie 6
Emma 6
Maria 6
Annie 5
Caroline 5
Clara 5
Fanny 5
Laura 5
Louisa 5
Martha 5
Susan 5
Amelia 4
Catherine 4
Kate 4
Lucy 4
Anne 3
Betsy 3
Charlotte 3
Elizth. 3
Esther 3
Grace 3
Henrietta 3
Margaret 3
Rose 3
Ada 2
Edith 2
Elizebeth 2
Hannah 2
Jessie 2
Lavinia 2
Lydia 2
Maud 2
Priscilla 2
Rebecca 2
Selina 2
Beatrice 1
Cordelia 1
E. 1
Eda 1
Thiresa 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Northey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 52
William 50
Richard 24
Thomas 19
James 18
Joseph 17
Henry 13
Samuel 13
George 12
Robert 12
Charles 9
Francis 8
Frederick 8
Edward 7
Alfred 5
Edwin 5
Albert 4
Arthur 4
Jeremiah 4
David 3
Harry 3
Chas. 2
Emanuel 2
Emmanuel 2
Gilbert 2
Mark 2
Michael 2
Nathaniel 2
Oliver 2
Paul 2
Sydney 2
Daniel 1
Digory 1
Edmund 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Joe 1
Johnny 1
Josiah 1
Martin 1
Maurice 1
Percey 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Reginald 1
Richd. 1
Wm.Arthur 1

FAQ

Northey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Northey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 714 people were recorded with the Northey surname. That placed it at #5,094 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Northey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 760 in 2016. That gives Northey a modern rank of #7,210.

What does the Northey surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the north.

What does the Northey map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Northey bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.